Wheat-heater



(No Modell) 4 J. E. WELGH.

WHEAT HEATER.

No. 254,077. Patehted Feb. 21,1882.

V Inventor:

\ fit Nv PETERS, Phdlulithognphnr, Walhillghm. D. C.

2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(NdModeL) 2 Shets-Sheet 2.

J. E. WELOH.

WHEAT HEATER.

N 0. 254,077. Patented Feb. 21,1882

-93 Lu. i

n. PETERS. Phnln-Uthognphur. Wnhingion, l1.-

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JAMES E. WELCH, OF PETERSB UBG, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT B. BOWMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

WHEAT-HEATER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 254,077, dated February 21, 1882.

Application filed July 19,1881. (No model.) 7

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JAMES E. WELGH, of Petersburg, in the county of Menard and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and usefullmprovement in Wheat-Heaters, of which r the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification.

This device is for heating wheat to prepare it for its subsequent grinding and this invention consists in one or more shells or chambers contracted at the waist or middle portion, the lower portion of the shell being formed with circumferential ribs or projections, and the upper portion being provided with a conical top, the shell being surrounded by a pipecoilofapproximately thesameshape,butlarger, so as to provide an annular chamber between the shell and the coil for the passage of the 1 2o grain. Both the shell and the pipe have steaminduction and water-eduction pipes leading to and from them, and are inclosed Within an outerIcase, between which and the coil is a packingot non-conductingmaterial. The outercase has hoppers at top and bottom for receiving the grain as it enters and is discharged from the heater, all of which will more fully appear hereinafter.

In the drawings, Figure l is an axial section of my improved heater. Fig. 2 is an axial section of a modified form thereof.

A is a shell formed with a contracted waist, so as to flare upwardly and downwardly from its center. The lower portion of the shell is provided with downwardly-projectin g circumferential projections or ribs a, whose upper faces incline outwardly and downwardly, as shown. The upper end, a, of the shell is conical, so that the grain on entering the heater and striking the conical top will be directed into the space between the shell and a coiled pipe, B, as shown, the pipe conforming approximately to the shape of the shell beneath the conical top. Preferably the annular space O between the shell and pipe is rather larger at the waist C than elsewhere, so that the grain will not beliable to choke in its passage through the machine. I

D is an outer case or cylinder, with top D g 50 and bottom D? inclosing the shell and pipe. [iv Between the case D and pipe 13 is a packing,

E, of asbestus or other non-conducting material to prevent the escape of heat.

F is a hopper depending from the top D of the case D for receiving the grain as it enters through the openingf and directing it into the annular chamber 0.

At the bottom of the heater is a hopper, G,

which receives the heated grain as it passes from the chamber or channel 0 through the annular series of openings g. The grain may pass from the hopper G directly into the'hopper of a millstone, or elsewhere, as desired.

A and B are steam-pipes passing through the case D and packing E to the shell A and pipe B, respectively, and A B are water-discharge pipes for carrying off the condensed water from the cone and pipe, respectively. Said induction and ed notion pipes are provided with suitable valves, A B as shown.

The operation of the machine is as follows: The shell A and pipe B are heated by steam admitted through the induction-pipes A B. The grain is then fed to the machine through the openingf in the top of the case proper,

and is directed by the hopper F and the upper end of the cone into the annular channel or chamber 0, down which it passes by gravity. As the grain passes down the channel it comes in contact with the projections on the lower cast in one piece, and having their lower por- 9o tions each provided with the projectionsor ribs a. I do not confine myself to any number of these shells arranged one above another.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim as new therein and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. In awheat-heater, the combination of shell A, contracted at the waist and formed with conical top a, and a steam-coil, B, surroundin g the shell, as set forth, the lower portion of the shell being provided with downwardly-projecting circumferential ribs, the upper faces of into the hopper G, as set 85 r which are inclined downward and outward, as pipe B, annular space 0, case D, with hoppers and for the purpose set-forth. F G, and openingsfg, packing E, and inducr0 2. The combination of the shell A, having tion and eilnetion pipes, for the purpose set projections a, steam-coil B,c0nformingthereto, forth.

5 case D,pa,ekingE,andinductionandeduetion JAMES E. WELCH.

pipes A B A 13*, all arranged substantially Witnesses: as and for the purpose set forth. F. A. RAINEY,

3. The combination of shell A, ribs a, coil- T. S. KNOLES. 

